1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic purse having a settling function, suitable for an electronic money system which transfers electric information (electronic money information), i.e., a value (amount of money) corresponding to the amount of money stored in an IC card, instead of actually transferring that money, and in particular, to an electronic purse which transfers electronic money information (amount of money information) through communication lines such as public telephone lines.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in an electronic money system transferring electronic money information corresponding to an amount of money, instead of actual money, transferring of electronic money information is performed, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 3-92966 for example, in such a manner that each person having an IC card, visits a shop, an automatic vending machine, or a bank (hereinafter, generally referred to as xe2x80x9cshopxe2x80x9d for simplicity), and uses a terminal unit installed in each shop. When each person wishes to receive electronic money information, they must visit a shop having a terminal unit and insert their IC card into the terminal unit to receive replenishment of electronic money.
The terminal unit installed in a shop functions to carry out transactions using input of values of electronic money information. However, to draw the balance from one""s account to leave a balance of nothing, it is necessary to input a value of electronic money information, which is a troublesome operation.
Further, the terminal unit installed in a shop functions to carry out active transactions in which a value of electronic money information and a direction of transfer, i.e., indication of receipt or payment, are inputted. However, it is not constructed to be compatible with a passive function which works on a transaction partner""s designation of a value of electronic money information and a direction of transfer.
The electronic money system described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 6-162059 proposes electronic purses which can be connected through a telephone communication means. However, it does not disclose means for improving the above-described troublesome operation or insufficient function.
An electronic purse in the conventional electronic money system is troublesome in its operation, because many instructing operations are required for payment and receipt of electronic money information. For example, it is necessary to select and set a direction of transferring electronic money information from many choices. Even to transfer a given value of electronic money information, as in the case of remittance of the entire balance or of a fixed amount, that value must be set explicitly.
Further, it has been impossible to reconcile a function of transferring electronic money information in which a transaction partner designates a value of electronic money and a direction of transaction and a function of transaction in which a user performs various settings actively for themselves.
Furthermore, when electronic money information is received and sent through public telephone lines, receipt and sending of voice information is stopped during the receipt and sending of the electronic money information and a silent state exists, and it is therefore difficult to confirm that the system is working. Further, transfer of voice information through the telephone communication lines becomes impossible.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to simplify instructing operations for transferring electronic money information. To give more detail, the present invention reduces instructing operations in setting a direction of transferring electronic money information and a value to be transferred.
Another object of the invention is to make it possible to transfer electronic money information without setting a value to be transferred and a direction of transfer, for oneself.
Another object of the invention is to make it possible to confirm easily that the system is working.
Still another object of the invention is to make it possible to transfer voice information while electronic money information is being sent or being received.
To accomplish the above-described objects, in the first mode of the present invention, there is provided an electronic purse comprising:
IC card connecting means for connecting to an IC card storing electronic money information;
IC card reading and writing means for reading or writing information from or into the IC card connected to said IC card connecting means;
a control means for controlling reading and writing of electronic money information in the IC card; and
an external device connecting terminal for sending and receiving electronic money information to and from an external device; and
a switching means for making it possible to mutually receive and send electronic money information between said IC card reading and writing means and said external device connecting terminal, and an external device detecting means for detecting a response from an external device connected to said external device connecting terminal;
wherein when said external device detecting means detects connection of the external device, said control means sets said switching means so that electronic money information in said IC card can pass between said external device connecting terminal and said IC card reading and writing means, making it possible to send and receive electronic money information between said external device and said IC card.
According to this mode of the invention, it is possible to reduce choices of directions of transferring electronic money information, simplifying instructing operations.
The electronic purse may be provided with a lump-sum remittance button for giving instructions of lump-sum sending of electronic money information stored in an IC card and a lump-sum remittance button operation detecting means for detecting an operation signal indicating that this button has been operated, so that, when the lump-sum remittance button is operated, the control means performs such control processing that all the electronic money information stored in said IC card or a user-set value is sent in the lump sum to the external device connected to the external device connecting terminal.
This simplifies instructing operations for setting a choice of a direction of transferring electronic money information and a value of electronic money information to be transferred.
Further, the electronic purse may be provided with a lump-sum drawing button for giving instructions of receiving all the electronic money information stored in the external device connected to the external device connecting terminal, so that when the lump-sum drawing button is operated, the control means performs such control processing that all the electronic money information which is stored in and received from the external device or a user-set value is received by the IC card through said external device connecting terminal.
This simplifies instructing operations for setting a choice of a direction of transferring electronic money information and an amount of money to be drawn.
According to the second mode of the present invention, there is provided an electronic purse comprising:
IC card connecting means for connecting to an IC card storing electronic money information;
IC card reading and writing means for reading or writing information from or into the IC card connected to said IC card connecting means;
a control means for controlling reading and writing of electronic money information from and into the IC card;
an external device connecting terminal for sending and receiving electronic money information to and from an external device;
a transaction button for giving instructions of sending and receiving electronic money information to and from the IC card;
a numerical input means for inputting a value of electronic money information to be dealt with;
an instruction decision button for inputting decision of instructions; and
a remittance direction detecting means for detecting electronic money information transfer direction data inputted from the external device through the external device connecting terminal, and a transfer direction setting means for setting a direction of transferring electronic money information in relation to the IC card;
wherein, when, after operation of the transaction button is detected, and the instruction decision button is operated while the numerical input means is not operated, the control means sets the transfer direction setting means in accordance with electronic money information transfer direction data detected by the remittance direction detecting means.
According to this mode of the invention, it is possible to transfer electronic money information without setting an amount of money to be transferred and a direction of transfer, for oneself.
According to the third mode of the present invention, there is provided an electronic purse comprising:
IC card connecting means for connecting to an IC card storing electronic money information;
IC card reading and writing means for reading or writing information from or into the IC card connected to the IC card connecting means;
a modem for sending and receiving electronic money information to and from an external device through a communication line;
a transaction button for giving instructions of sending and receiving electronic money information to and from the IC card;
telephone receiver means for outputting voice information received through the communication line;
line switching means for switching the communication line to the modem or to the telephone receiver means; and
a voice information storage means for storing voice information, and voice connecting means for supplying the voice information stored in the voice information storage means to the telephone receiver means;
wherein, when the transaction button is operated, the communication line is connected to the modem while the voice information is supplied to the telephone receiver means; and
while electronic money information of the IC card is sent or received to or from the external device through the modem and the communication line, said voice information such as a piece of music or a message is outputted through the telephone receiver means.
Accordingly, it is possible to confirm easily that the system is working.
Further, according to the fourth mode of the invention, there is provided an electronic purse comprising:
IC card connecting means for connecting to an IC card storing electronic money information;
IC card reading and writing means for reading or writing information from or into the IC card connected to the IC card connecting means;
a modem for sending and receiving electronic money information to and from an external device through a communication line;
a transaction button for giving instructions of sending and receiving electronic money information to and from the IC card; and
a telephone transmitter-receiver means for talking by means of voice information sent and received through the communication line, and a line superposition means for sending and receiving signals of the modem and the telephone transmitter-receiver means in a superposed manner to and from the communication line;
wherein when the transaction button is operated, it is made possible to send and receive voice information such as a piece of music or a message through the line superposition means, and to input and output the voice information through the telephone transmitter-receiver means, while electronic money information is sent or received to and from the external device through the line superposition means and the modem.
Accordingly, it is possible to transfer voice information while electronic money information is being sent or received.